19Both were just 19 when they first laid eyes on each other by the old office trailer in Signal.
19 miles they were driven from signal to the drop off point the next day, to begin the summer hearding sheep.
19 hours later, sheep pastured, camp set up, the two fell into a deep sleep side by side in a canvas tent. In the days that followed two young men came into an easy, familar campanionship each would only know with the other, campfire stories of bull riding, tails of growing up orphaned,raised by an older brother and sister who now had lives of their own .
On the 19th day one man returned to camp to find the other gone not returning from packing in supplies. No sign of him, the minutes and hours passed by, a well of fear rose to the one by the fire only slightly tempered by the whisky, on the brink of tears, something bad must have happen to keep the one so steady away. Hours after dark the exhale of the horses breath is heard with the hoofs on the ground and a gentle command to halt. With a voice almost shaking one spoke "Where the hell ya been? Came down fron the sheep...no supper?" and then he saw the bloodied face of his friend. "What the hell happened Ennis?" A rag was soaked in hot water offered for comfort. "Came upon a bear is what happen'd...mule scatteered...lost most of the food....beans 'bout all we got." An elk was shot the next morning, that nite much hungered for sustanence eaten in conforting silence side by side in the lite of the fire.
19 days and 11 more from the time they met, a cold nite by the fire, singing songs of the Pentecost, shared bottle of whisky, the herder proclaimed it was too late to ride to the sheep...sleep by the fire against warnings of "You'll freeze your ass of once that fire dies down." later shivering to the bone his friend called out. "Ennis...quit yer hammerein' 'n get you ass in here!" On that cold nite each found new life in the other, hardly imagined before by either.
19 years, almost 20 would bring on the last time the pair of men would ever meet. Reunited by a five cent postcard four years after that summer, the two men would meet two mosly three times a year, one asking for the sweet life together, the other saying it just can't be but wishing for it just as much.
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